Prologue

All the things together that the Lord has done or undergone in the flesh are salutary lessons and examples. (Aquinas, Quodlibet III, q. 5, a. 2, obj. 1.) Hence we read this in John 13:15: I have given you an example, that whatever I have done you may do likewise. (Cf. ST II-II.174.6 (last sentence of the corpus); III.37.1, obj. 2 and 46.3 (referring to 1 Pet 2:21). See also SCG IV.36 (nihil . . . aut nobis imitandum fuit, quoting Matthew 11:29 and John 13:15) and IV.54 (necessarium fuit homini . . . a Deo humanato et doctrinam et exempla virtutis acciperet: John 13:15); whereas the examples which Aristotle gives in his logical works should not be given much attention: ST I.67.2, obj. 2.) And because there is not any age from which the way of salvation is absent—and to the highest extent this applies to the years in which one comes to discernment— the adolescence of Christ is made an example for adolescents. (Thomas’s audience consists, for the most part, of students. He presents the boy Jesus as the example for their lives: following him in everything is the road that leads to salvation.) Growth and progress are proper to adolescents. Therefore, the progress of Christ is made an example for adolescents.

But, to begin, let us ask God to enable us to say something about the progress of Christ for the honor of God and for the salvation of our souls.